UKC

In the Lakes the weekend I saw quite a few using shorts with gaiters and it just looks so uncomfortable and in the muggy weather almost negates the benefits of shorts and it must chaff calves. Mind I don`t like gaiters in the first place so am a bit biased.
Cheers sjc

In reply to sjc: I'll add to that - why wear boots when it's this hot? Go buy some fell runners.

In reply to sjc: Nothing like a bit of style policing on a Monday am....

In reply to mrchewy:

I've always been a gaiters for snow only person, but my wife wears hers anytime she's walking in wet grass to stop wicking into her boots.

I don't understand people who wear them in the rain but with trousers inside the gaiter - in the rain they need to be over socks and under trousers surely?

Gaiters and shorts might just be an extreme way to deal with ankle height nettles.

In reply to sjc: probably from New Zealand, where basic foul weather gear is shorts and gaiters - occasionally upgraded (in apocalyptic blizzard conditions only) to polypro long johns, shorts and gaiters. It's a look, alright.
b

In reply to ben b: Arf! a bit too close to home...

In reply to ben b:
Ah New Zealanders, that would explain the velcro patches on the front of the shorts, thanks.

Gaiters and trailrunners are not a bad combination; there's at least one company making gear intended just for that purpose (dirty girl) and they do a nice job keeping grit and bits of foliage out of your shoes. They're designed to be comfy on legs though and aren't waterproof.

'Normal' gaiters though? Sounds a bit daft.

In reply to mrchewy:

The heatwave didn't exactly hit the Lakes! Although my kids were wandering round Ambleside in shorts and t-shirt whilst many were it top to toe Goretex...

Although why wear boots at all unless you need something stiff enough to put crampons on?

In reply to sjc:

Ankle gaiters keep pebbles fron getting into your boots and more importantly, particularly in long thistley grass keep those nasty spikey things like grass seed pods working into you socks.

In reply to Carolyn: When I were a lad it were easy. Walshes up to the snowline and then koflachs if it got steep. Walshes for grade 1 though

Kids today, etc etc. Pass me my breeks, someone.

b

In reply to sjc:

I can imagine wearing shorts and gaiters. Gaiters I wear if I'm walking in deep soft snow; shorts I wear if it's hot. Why shouldn't there be conditions where I'm walking in deep soft snow and it's hot?

In reply to Carolyn:

What??? people can wear whatever they like, i wear approach shoes, summer boots and a pair of stiff boots in summer depending what i am doing and wouldn't want anyone questioning my choice that it didn't affect directly!!!

I mean shorts and gaiters is fair game but if people like boots in the heat, so what, they might have weak ankles or just like wearing boots.

Why don't you lot put a list together of what might be acceptable in your eyes for visitors to wear while visiting the Lakes????

In reply to Carolyn:


Because you aren't a gear addict who wants to spend enormous amounts of money owning an optimized piece of gear for every possible situation, but would rather have one thing that will get you round pretty much everything?

Or possibly because you want to be able to cross ankle-deep bogs without getting minging sludge in your socks.

In reply to Tim Chappell:

I think we might be back to NZ glaciers on a nice day again....
b

In reply to Tim Chappell.
Ah they must have just come down off the Combe Ghyll glacier, that will explain the ropes, ice axes and crampons.

In reply to ben b:
I do that far too much, and you cook your legs in the gaps between gaitors and shorts. Not healthy really.

Brits don't like wearing shorts coz they are scared of showing their silly white knees. Gaitors just emphasize it even more

However, if you are in shorts over here, gaitors reduce the midge attack zone by quite a bit.

In reply to ben b:


Please! Take me there

In reply to sjc:

maybe its seen as some sort of defence against ticks?

In reply to dissonance: I don't know if it's still true , but for a while orienteers had to wear 'bramble bashers', which were a form of gaiters worn with shorts. I think this had its origins in the AIDS scare of the early 80/90's. I don't know if it is still enforced.

In reply to sjc:

so in not wearing gaters, dont your feet get wet ? and do you get stones in your boots and although they may look uncomfortable they do serve a purpose

In reply to sjc:

Short gaiters are great at stopping thorns and suchlike from getting down into your boots when ploughing through bracken.

eg: http://www.needlesports.com/Catalogue/Technical-Clothing/Feet/Gaiters/Short...

In reply to ben b:


Ah ha! I was chatting to a young kiwi lad before a traverse of the Cuillin, and over the two days at Glenbrittle we kept bumping into each other, I couldn't quite understand why he had trekking boots, longjohns and swim shorts on.

Now I know

I wear goretex army boots most of the time.
I did consider using them with gaiters while wearing shorts, but ended up with much boots - at Glastonbury where a mud-splattered leg is far from a pleasant issue to resolve when you've got reasonably hairy legs!
I'd prefer to have a mud splattered gaiter than mud splattered trousers, so they can be easily removed before getting in to a tent etc.

Tick protection. Very sensible.

In reply to top cat:

Ticks will crawl across clothing then across your skin until they find a suitable place to lodge so unless your gaiters are white and you can see the tick (not possible with the smallest ones) then they are no protection at all.

ALC

In reply to sputnik3383:

I used to go fell walking in boots where gaiters made sense (sometimes) but after a while I began to do more and more walks in fell running shoes. Yes my feet get wet but the water drains out quickly and it's not that bad once you get used to it.

Get back to the car/hut and remove shoes and socks then a quick wash down of your feet and you are right. You don't have to worry about the boots drying out then having to apply a new dose of whatever proprietary dubbin substitute to them. If it's wet the following day then so what?

Spring, autumn (and occasionally winter) I'll just use a pair of SealSkins socks rather than normal ones.

ALC